Investment Team
The Advance Multi-Blend Funds are built and monitored by our Advance Investment Solutions team – investment experts with an average of more than 16 years' experience in financial markets.
Our size and contacts give us access to an extensive range of resources, both locally and globally, to ensure the Advance Multi-Blend Funds benefit from the latest thinking from around the world.
- Adrian Trollor - Investment Sustainability Manager
- Andrew Dowie - Portfolio Manager, Fixed Interest
- Chris Thompson - Portfolio Manager, Alternative Assets
- Colleen Chidzey - Operations Manager
- Dimitra Voutas - Portfolio Manager, Property
- Dustin Adams - Portfolio Manager, Australian Equities
- Felix Stephen - Manager, Strategy and Research
- James Kerr - Investment Analyst
- Mark Vrkic - Portfolio Manager, International Equities
- Nick Valcas - Senior Analyst, Portfolio Research
- Patrick Farrell - Head of Advance Investment Solutions
- Sidney Chong - Manager, Quantitative Research
- Victor Zheng - Research Analyst
Adrian Trollor B.Comm, ACA, CIMA - Investment Sustainability Manager
Adrian has 9 years experience with BT Financial Group across finance, product and investment solutions business areas.
Prior to being appointed to the role of Investment Sustainability Manager at Advance Investment Solutions, Adrian was a member of the BT Investment Solutions team where he was Head of Product and Business, responsible for product development, management, investment implementation, transition management and business aspects of the group.
Prior to BT Financial Group, Adrian gained extensive financial services experience with Ernst and Young both in Australia and overseas.
He has a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of New South Wales and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and holds the Certified Investment Management Consultant designation through Investment Management Consultants Association.
Andrew Dowie, B. Econ (Hons) Staffordshire University, England - Portfolio Manager, Fixed Interest
Andrew comes to the team with 15 years of experience in financial markets, with a background in fixed interest markets. Recently, Andrew has worked in the information technology industry in management roles and prior to this worked for Merrill Lynch Investment Bank promoting Australian Fixed Interest products to Asian markets.
Previously, Andrew was an economist with the St.George Group, which he joined in 2006.
Andrew holds an honours degree in economics and has also completed training with Merrill Lynch in New York and with the Association of International Bond Dealers in Zurich.
Chris Thompson B.Sc, FIA , CFA - Portfolio Manager, Alternative Assets
Chris holds a bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town and is a member of the Institute of Actuaries (UK) and a CFA charter holder.
Prior to being appointed to the role of Portfolio Manager, Chris was a member of BT’s Investment Solutions team where he was responsible for overall portfolio construction and monitoring of the BT Multi-manager portfolios, as well as managing research within Australian equities.
Prior to joining BT Financial Group in 2005, Chris worked for Intech Investment Consultants where he was responsible for the portfolio management of the Intech Investment Trusts, a range of multi-manager portfolios totalling approximately $6 billion.
Previously, Chris was jointly responsible for investments at South Africa’s Nedcor Investment Bank’s multi-manager division. He also spent time in London involved with risk management at Credit Suisse Financial Products (the derivatives arm of Credit Suisse). Chris has also worked for the Southern Life Association in Cape Town, South Africa where he was responsible for product development for individual life and investment products.
Colleen Chidzey - Operations Manager
Colleen is responsible for management of the day to day operational aspects within the investment solutions team and brings with her a deep understanding of the overarching business.
Previously Colleen was Operations Manager in the St.George Investment Solutions team and prior to that a Senior Product Manager for Advance Asset Management Limited, during which time she managed the ‘end to end’ delivery of key SGIS initiatives across the St.George Wealth business.
Colleen has a Diploma in Financial Markets through the Securities Institute of Australia and 14 years experience in the Funds Management industry.
Dimitra Voutas, B.Ec, ASIA - Portfolio Manager, Property
Dimitra has over 10 years experience in the investment and superannuation industry having worked for a large multi manager fund. Previously, Dimitra was a Portfolio Manager in the St.George Investment Solutions. Dimitra previously was Investment Manager at WorkCover responsible for managing the $6 billion WorkCover portfolio. She has extensive experience in manager research reviews, multi-manager portfolio management, portfolio risk analysis and client reporting.
Dimitra has a Bachelor of Economics with a joint major in Economics and Finance and is currently undertaking the Masters of Applied Finance course at Macquarie University.
Dustin Adams B.Ec, B.Sc - Portfolio Manager, Australian Equities
Dustin has 10 years experience in financial services markets with a focus on investment research, portfolio construction and financial planning services.
Dustin previously was Portfolio Manager in the St.George Investment Solutions team. He was also a research analyst at the managed funds research subsidiary of National Australia Bank, ThreeSixty Investment Strategy & Research, where he was responsible for the creation and ongoing monitoring of the template model portfolios on the MasterKey Custom platform. Prior to his time at ThreeSixty, Dustin was a research analyst for St.George Financial Planning where he was responsible for the approved investments list and model portfolios for the dealership. Dustin has extensive experience in managed funds research and portfolio construction encompassing both qualitative and quantitative research disciplines.
He holds a Bachelor of Economics with majors in Economics and Econometrics, and a Bachelor of Science (Psych).
Felix Stephen, BA (Economics) - Manager, Strategy and Research
Felix has over 30 years of extensive treasury and portfolio management experience in Australian and International fixed income and international foreign exchange markets. He has served on asset allocation, investment strategy and marketing committees at funds management institutions in Australia and overseas and has also been a consultant to institutions in Australia and overseas on funds management and financial markets.
Felix migrated to Australia in 1987; while abroad he was the Manager, Treasury at the Bank of Ceylon London and a member of the market practices committee at the Central bank of Ceylon. He gained his commercial banking experience in Sri Lanka and London and has authored and published many research papers on global financial asset markets, macro economic trends, asset allocation and rural banking development. He maintains a strong network of key personalities within the industry and other organisations around the world.
James Kerr, B.Ag.Ec. - Investment Analyst
James is responsible for the management of the asset allocation re-balancing strategy across diversified portfolios, management of cash flows and liquidity levels across all funds, and execution of transactions on portfolio transitions. James also assists the Portfolio Managers in Australian and International Shares, and Listed Property Securities in manager research and portfolio implementation.
Previously, James was an analyst with the St.George Investment Solutions team, which he joined in 2007.
James graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics majoring in Economics in March 2006 and is currently a candidate in the Charted Financial Analyst program, Level 1.
Mark Vrkic, B.Comm, ASIA - Portfolio Manager, International Equities
Mark has 10 years experience in the investment industry with a focus on investment research, financial planning services and portfolio management.
Previously Mark was a Portfolio Manager in the St.George Investment Solutions team. He was also research analyst at IOOF Investment Management Limited responsible for managing their multi-manager equity portfolios. Mark has developed a strong network of global contacts within the investment management industry and has extensive experience in investment manager research, investment strategy and multi-manager portfolio management. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting.
Nick Valcas, BBus (Bking & Fin), AAIBF (Snr), ASIA (Aff) - Senior Analyst, Portfolio Research
Nick has 21 years experience in financial markets with expertise in equity portfolio construction, portfolio risk analysis, portfolio exposure management, quantitative and financial modelling. Nick has a Bachelor of Business with a joint major in Banking and Finance and is a Senior Associate of the Financial Services Institute of Australia.
Previously Nick was a Senior Analyst at St.George Investment Solutions from June 2001. Prior to joining St.George Nick was Quantitative and Industrial analyst at ASSIRT Equities, and Equity Portfolio Manager at Australian Casualty & Life and Royal & Sun Alliance.
Patrick Farrell, B.Sc, ASIA - Head of Advance Investment Solutions
Patrick has more than 19 years experience in the investment industry, managing direct institutional portfolios across a broad range of disciplines. He has extensive knowledge of fixed interest, multi-manager and tactical asset allocation portfolio management.
Prior to being appointed to his current role, Patrick was Head of Investment Solutions at St.George Wealth Management from June 2007.
Previously, Patrick was Head of Multi-Manager and Tactical Asset Allocation at IAG Asset Management. This encompassed managing asset class exposures, direct hedge fund management, alpha transport strategies, multi-manager portfolio construction and major portfolio protection strategies. Patrick has also served on various Investment Committees and Superannuation Boards.
Sidney Chong B.Ec. - Manager, Quantitative Research
Sidney has over 18 years experience in the application of quantitative and qualitative disciplines for the construction and monitoring of multi-manager portfolios.
Prior to being appointed to the role of Manager, Quantitative Research in the Advance Investment Solutions team, Sidney was responsible for strategic analysis, manager research, portfolio construction and ongoing monitoring for the BT Multi-manager fixed interest and alternative asset classes at BT.
Before joining BT in 2007, Sidney was an asset consultant and researcher with Mercer Investment Consulting advising institutional investors on multi-manager portfolio construction, manager selection and implementation issues. Prior to Mercer, Sidney was the Head of Quantitative Analysis at van Eyk Research and was responsible for quantitative analysis for van Eyk’s manager ratings, van Eyk’s Blueprint portfolios and a variety of institutional clients. Sidney also spent 9 years in institutional and retail asset management with Citicorp Global Asset Management across a variety of analytical and operational roles.
Sidney holds a Bachelor of Economics from Sydney University with majors in Economics, Accounting and Commercial Law and is a regular speaker at industry conferences.
Victor Zheng, B. Mathematics and Finance - Research Analyst
Victor is responsible for researching investment market trends and assisting in the asset allocation process across the diversified portfolios. Victor also assists lead analysts in Australian and International Shares and Listed Property Securities in manager research and portfolio implementation.
Previously, Victor was an analyst with the St.George Investment Solutions team, which he joined in 2005. Victor has also worked as a data analyst for 3 years at Morningstar Research.
Victor has a Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance and has a Masters of Commerce from Sydney University.
